In May, Michael Bloomberg proposed a ban on the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces. If it passes, New Yorkers with an urge for a deluge of high-fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring will be forced to purchase multiple puny 12-ounce beverages. Bloomberg’s war against dental and arterial destruction was praised and derided with equal fervor, with most of the commentary revolving around the tension between health outcomes and consumer freedom.

The mayor’s proposed legislation may have provoked libertarians, but it struck many in the sustainable food movement as little more than a gesture, with soda a random mark among many other possible targets — his announcement, incidentally, took place just before “National Donut Day.”

Whether it passes or not, the proposal has stirred debate around how much say government should have in shaping individual consumer choices that inevitably have broader social impacts.